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9 Feb 2018Published in: Urbanization,

Global: The urbanization will lead a 50% increase in demand for energy and water

The rise in the urban population worldwide is expected to lead to a 50% increase in demand for energy and water, generating challenges that exert pressure on water resources and threaten global water security, writes Benedito Braga.

The formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an endeavour of the highest importance to achieve reasonable water security in the world and ensure a prosperous and equitable future for humankind. SDG 6, ensuring availability and a sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, is central to today’s water issues.

Water must also be appreciated, not only as an end in itself, but as a means for all other development (food, energy, green growth, women empowerment, disease prevention, cultural). It is, after all, a uniting vector running through all themes of development and the SDGs at large.

To this end, working simultaneously with countries and organisations involved in other goals is crucial, in particular when considering the mass migration to cities to be experienced in coming decades.

Urbanisation is one of the 21st century’s most transformative trends. Cities are the dominant force in sustainable economic growth, development and prosperity in both developed and developing countries.

Currently 54% of the world’s population (4 billion people) resides in urban areas. By 2030, 2 billion people will have migrated to cities, placing unprecedented pressure on infrastructure and resources, particularly those related to water (UN & World Bank).

Reacting to the rise in infrastructure and houses visited by recent extreme weather phenomena, including hurricanes, fires and flooding, governments have repeatedly been called to be aware of the role adequate water infrastructure can play in alleviating these situations.

Basing ourselves on the premise of prevention is better than cure. It is evident responsible financing should be centred on urban areas and infrastructure in both interlinked rural and urban areas.

Numerous UN sanctioned global agreements compliment these actions, including the Paris Climate Agreement, the New Urban Agenda, the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Water investment thus becomes a unifying factor in fostering healthier and more prosperous cities, offering impoverished populations a real chance at progress.

Although national governments will lead much of the implementation of these agendas, success will also rely on the commitment and empowerment of local and regional authorities to do their part. Cities and regions often lack guidance on how to achieve objectives locally, contribute to nationally set targets and implement concrete solutions.

Less consumption and better management are at the core of these efforts, underlining the need for improved infrastructure investment. By adding climate change to the equation, the need for adequate financing becomes even more pressing.

UN reports indicate that by 2030 there will be a 50% increase in demand for energy and water, requiring a water infrastructure capital investment of three times the current level. It is worth noting, return on investment in water is exponential, and widespread investments are necessary to promote development through water security.

In light of this, it is essential to formulate a mechanism at an international level, determined by the UN, for the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the future water targets of the post-2015 Agenda in order to understand with greater precision the current water situation and its worldwide evolution.

Additionally, the World Water Council encourages the development of a unique, constructively critical platform where ideas about global water challenges are exchanged and, where plans to implement these ideas are developed by policymakers, scientists, the private sector and civil society.

The World Water Forum, held in Brasilia, Brazil in March of this year, provides an ideal opportunity for all interest groups and civil society to come together and promote an agenda in compliance with SDG 6 for the next three years.

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